Absorbent articles with different types of channels

ABSTRACT

An absorbent article has a front side, a back side, a longitudinal axis, a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet and an absorbent core between the topsheet and the backsheet. The absorbent core includes a first type of channels, wherein the top side and the bottom side of the core wrap are bonded to another, and a second type of channels, wherein the top side and the bottom side of the core wrap are not bonded or are less bonded to one another in this second type of channels than in the first type of channels. The absorbent material may also include cellulose and superabsorbent particles.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to personal hygiene absorbent articles that areplaced in the crotch region of a wearer to absorb body exudates, such asbaby taped diapers, baby pant-like diapers, training pants, femininepads and adult incontinence products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Absorbent articles for personal hygiene are designed to absorb andcontain body exudates, in particular large quantity of urine. Theseabsorbent articles comprise a topsheet on the wearer-facing side thatquickly acquires the fluid and feels soft on the wearer's skin, anabsorbent core for retaining the fluid, and a backsheet on thegarment-facing side for protecting the wearer's clothes.

The absorbent core comprises an absorbent material that may be disposedin a core wrap. The core wrap may be typically comprised of one sheet ofcore wrap material folded over itself around the absorbent material oralternatively from two sheets of core wrap material forming respectivelya top side and a bottom side of the core wrap, with suitable attachmentalong the longitudinal edges and optionally the front and back edges.The core wrap material is typically a low basis weight nonwoven. Theabsorbent material usually comprises superabsorbent polymers (SAP) as isknown in the art. The SAP is typically distributed in the form of smallparticles, which may be blended with cellulose fibers in so-calledairfelt cores. The SAP particles typically represent from 40% to 70% ofthe weight of the absorbent material, the rest being cellulose fibers.More recently, so called pulp-less or airfelt-free absorbent cores havebeen put on the market, wherein the absorbent material does not comprisecellulose fibers. In these airfelt-free cores, the SAP particles havebeen enclosed in pockets, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,715(Tanzer et al.), WO2012/052172 (Van Malderen), or have been immobilizedby a fibrous network of adhesive fibers (e.g. US2008/312617, Hundorf etal.).

Absorbent cores comprising channels for directing the fluid over alarger area of the absorbent core in a more efficient way than bydiffusion have been proposed. Various channel constructions have beenproposed. The channels may be macroscopic areas which are substantiallyfree of absorbent material. Channels without any bond or immobilization,so that they quickly disappear as the absorbent material starts to swelland fills the channels, are known. Bonded channels have also beenproposed in which the top side of the core wrap is bonded to the bottomside of the core wrap through the channels. This provides more permanentchannels that remain in place even after the absorbent core has absorbeda substantial amount of fluid. The two sides of the core wrap may bebonded using known bonding techniques such as adhesive bonding,mechanical bonding, thermo-bonding, or ultra-sonic bonding. Examples ofsuch bonded channels are disclosed for example in WO2012/170778A1(Rosati et al.) and WO2014/93129 (Roe et al.). Advantages of such bondedchannels are improved fit, less core sagging and better fluiddistribution. These bonded channels may gradually open during use tofree up more space for the swelling SAP, as for example disclosed inWO2014/200794 (Bianchi et al.). Such semi-permanent channels can beadvantageous to release more free space for the absorbent material toswell as the absorbent core is loaded while keeping the benefits ofpermanent channels. The rate and pattern at which the bonded channels ofthe prior art open is however difficult to control and depend on manyfactors such as the pressure applied on the article, the distribution ofSAP in the core, etc.

While it was found relatively easy to make channel bonds, it can be moredifficult to provide semi-permanent bonds that open gradually incontrolled manner. This is especially true when the absorbent materialcomprises cellulose fibers, because these absorbent core structurestypically have a relatively high caliper and volume already in drystate, thus being more susceptible to experience swelling constraintonce they start to swell. The present invention addresses the issue ofproviding improved absorbent cores having the benefits of semi-permanentchannels in a more controllable manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is in a first aspect directed to an absorbent article suchas a diaper having an absorbent core with two different types ofchannels. The first type of channels may have relatively strong bondsbetween the top side and the bottom side of the core wrap. On the otherhand, the second type of channels may have no bonds at all or at leastsignificantly weaker bonds than the bonds of the first type of channels.The channels of the first type provide the benefits of channels in wetand dry state, while channels of the second type provide benefits at anearly stage of usage when the diaper is dry or starts to be wet, but canquickly open to release free space for swelling. In a second aspect, theinvention is directed to absorbent cores having these different types ofchannels, a method for making these absorbent cores, and packagescomprising these absorbent articles.

Further advantageous aspects of the present invention are disclosed inthe following description and claims. The channels of the first andsecond type may in particular be each respectively provided as a pair ofchannels disposed symmetrically relative to the longitudinal axis of thearticle. The first type of channels may be disposed at least partiallywithin the crotch region of the article, and the second type of channelsmay be at least partially disposed in the front region and/or backregion of the article. The first type of channels and the second type ofchannels may optionally be separated from each other by a separatingzone comprising absorbent material. At least some of the first and/orsecond type of channels may optionally not reach any of the edges of thedeposition area of the absorbent material, and thus be fully encompassedwithin the absorbent layer. The absorbent material comprises a blend ofcellulose fibers and SAP particles. This and various other aspects ofthe invention are described in the following description and attachedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of the wearer-facing side of an exemplary articleof the invention in the form of a taped diaper which has been pulledflat, with some layers partially removed;

FIG. 2 shows a partial exploded view of the taped diaper of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic transversal cross-section of the diaper ofFIGS. 1-2 with channels of the first type;

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a schematic transversal cross-section of the diaperof FIGS. 1-2 with channels of the second type;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the exemplary absorbent core of the previousFigures shown in isolation and the top side of the core wrap partiallyremoved;

FIG. 7 is a schematic top view of an absorbent core with an alternativechannel configuration.

FIG. 8 illustrates the step of extracting the core from a finishedarticle for measuring the Static Peel Force Time (SPFT) of the channels;

FIG. 9 illustrates the step of identifying and cutting a sample band ofthe core comprising a channel;

FIG. 10 illustrates the sample after being cut to be 1-inch wide;

FIG. 11 shows the cut sample before placing it in the tester;

FIG. 12 shows the tester with the cut sample of FIG. 11 for measuringthe SPFT.

For ease of discussion, the absorbent cores and articles of theinvention will be discussed with reference to these Figures and thenumerals referred therein, however these are not intended to limit thescope of the claims unless specifically indicated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION General Description of anAbsorbent Article 20

An exemplary absorbent article according to the invention in the form ofa baby taped diaper 20 is represented in FIGS. 1-5. FIG. 1 is a top planview of the wearer-facing side of an exemplary diaper in a flat-outstate, with portions of the structure being cut-away to more clearlyshow the construction of the diaper. FIG. 2 is an exploded view showingthe different layers of the diaper of FIG. 1. FIG. 3-5 is transversalcross-sectional view of the diaper 20 taken along lines 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5of FIG. 1 respectively. This diaper 20 is shown for illustration purposeonly, as the invention may be used for making a wide variety of diapersor other absorbent articles such as pant-like diapers, training pants,adult incontinence pants or feminine sanitary pads. In the followingdescription the term diaper and absorbent article are usedinterchangeably.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the absorbent article 20 comprises a frontedge 10, a back edge 12, and two longitudinally-extending side (lateral)edges 13, 14. The front edge 10 is the edge of the article which isintended to be placed towards the front of the user when worn, and theback edge 12 is the opposite edge. The absorbent article is notionallydivided by a longitudinal axis 80 extending along a longitudinaldirection from the middle of the front edge to the middle of the backedge of the article and dividing the article in two substantiallysymmetrical halves relative to this axis, when viewing the article fromthe wearer-facing side in a flat out configuration, as exemplarily shownin FIG. 1. If some parts of the article are under tension due toelasticized components, the article may be typically flattened usingclamps along the periphery of the article and/or a sticky surface, sothat the article can be pulled taut so as to be substantially flat.Closed articles such as pant-like baby diapers, training pants for smallchildren, or adult incontinent pants may be cut open along the sideseams to apply them on a flat surface, as is known in the art. Unlessotherwise indicated, dimensions and areas disclosed herein apply to thearticle in this flat-out configuration.

As used herein, the terms “comprise(s)” and “comprising” are open-ended;each specifies the presence of the feature that follows, e.g. acomponent, but does not preclude the presence of other features, e.g.elements, steps, components known in the art or disclosed herein. Theseterms based on the verb “comprise” should be read as encompassing thenarrower terms “consisting essentially of” which excludes any element,step or ingredient not mentioned which materially affect the way thefeature performs its function, and the term “consisting of” whichexcludes any element, step, or ingredient not specified. Any preferredor exemplary embodiments described below are not limiting the scope ofthe claims, unless specifically indicated to do so. The words“typically”, “normally”, “preferably”, “advantageously”, “inparticular”, “optionally” and the likes also qualify features which arenot intended to limit the scope of the claims unless specificallyindicated to do so.

The article has further a length L as measured along the longitudinalaxis 80 from the back edge 12 to the front edge 10. The absorbentarticle can also be notionally divided by a transversal axis 90 at halfthe length L. The transversal axis 90 is perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis 80 and placed at half the length of the article. Theintersection of the longitudinal axis 80 and the transversal axis 90 isdefined herein as the centerpoint C of the article. The article can befurther notionally divided in three regions having equal length of athird of L along the longitudinal axis: a front region 62 extending fromthe front edge 10 towards the crotch region for a third of L, a crotchregion 63 in the middle third of the diaper, and a back region 64extending from the crotch region to the back edge 12 of the article forthe remaining third of L. All three regions are of equal length measuredon the longitudinal axis, when the article is in such a flat state. Thefront region, crotch region, back region and longitudinal andtransversal axis are defined herein notionally, that is they aretypically not materialized in the real diapers, but are useful todescribe the positions of various components of the invention relativeto each other and the diaper.

The absorbent article 20 comprises a liquid-permeable topsheet 24, aliquid-impermeable backsheet 25 and an absorbent core 28 between thetopsheet and the backsheet. The absorbent core comprises an absorbentmaterial 60 enclosed in a core wrap having a top side 16 and bottom side16′. The absorbent material 60 defines an absorbent layer havingdeposition area within the core wrap. The absorbent core 28 furthercomprises within the deposition area defined by the absorbent material60 at least one channel 26 of a first type, with relatively strong bond27, and at least one channel of a second type 56 having no bond (asillustrated in the Figures) or at least weaker bonds than the first typeof bond. How to achieve these bonds will be discussed further below.

The absorbent article may further comprises one or more intermediatelayers between the topsheet and the absorbent core. As illustrated thismay be an acquisition layer 52 directly underneath the topsheet.Optionally a distribution layer (not represented) between theacquisition layer 52 and the absorbent core 28 may also be present.Advantageously, the topsheet may be attached directly (or indirectlythrough an acquisition layer) to the channels of the absorbent core(more precisely the top layer 16 of the core wrap corresponding to thechannels) so that the three-dimensionality of the channels is alsopresent on both sides of the diapers in dry and wet state.

The wearer-facing side of the article is principally formed by thetopsheet 24. A lotion (not represented) may be present, typically inlongitudinally-extending stripes, directly on the topsheet. Othertypical diaper components are represented in the Figures, such aselasticized gasketing cuffs 32 (also called outer cuffs), upstandingbarrier leg cuffs 34 (inner cuffs). For clarity of the drawings, onlyone elastic strand 33, 35 is shown for each type of cuff, but typicallyeach cuff may typically comprise from 1 to 4 elastic strands. In tapeddiapers, a pair of fastening tabs 42 and a landing zone 44 are typicallyprovided. These further components will be discussed in more detailsfurther below. The absorbent article may also comprise other typicalcomponents, which are not represented in the Figures, such as a backelastic waist feature, a front elastic waist feature, transverse barriercuffs, a wetness indicator between the backsheet and the absorbent corethat changes color when contacted with urine, etc.

General Description of an Absorbent Core 28

Two exemplary absorbent cores 28 according to the invention areillustrated on FIGS. 6-7 in isolation. As used herein, the term“absorbent core” or “core” refers to a component of an absorbent articlewhich comprises an absorbent material contained in a core wrap. As usedherein, the term “absorbent core” does not include the topsheet, thebacksheet or a distribution/acquisition layer. The absorbent core hastypically the most absorbent capacity of all the components of theabsorbent article, and comprises all or at least the majority ofsuperabsorbent polymer (SAP) in the article. The core typically thusconsists essentially of, or consists of, the core wrap, the absorbentmaterial and optionally adhesives. The absorbent material comprises ablend of SAP particles and cellulose fibers. The terms “absorbent core”and “core” are herein used interchangeably.

The absorbent core may be typically thin and conformable, so that it canbe laid on a flat surface as well as a curved surface, for example thecurved surface of a drum during its making process. FIG. 6 shows a topview of the absorbent core of the article of FIGS. 1-5, and FIG. 7 analternative core having different channel orientations for the secondtype of channels. The core wrap may comprise two distinct substratesforming respectively the top side 16 and bottom side 16′ of the corewrap and attached together, as illustrated in the Figures, but it isalso common and possible to have a single substrate forming both top andbottom sides of the core wrap. The absorbent core typically comprises afront edge 280, a back edge 282 and two longitudinally-extending sideedges 284, 286 joining the front edge and the back edge. The front edgeof the core 280 is the edge placed or intended to be placed towards thefront edge 10 of the absorbent article. Typically the absorbent material60 of the core may be advantageously distributed in somewhat higheramount towards the front edge than towards the back edge as moreabsorbency is typically required towards the front half of the article.Typically the front and back edges 280, 282 may be shorter than thelongitudinally-extending side edges 284, 286. The top side of the corewrap may be treated to be more hydrophilic than the bottom side.

The overall footprint of the absorbent core is typically defined by thecore wrap and is typically generally rectangular with a core width W′ inthe transversal direction and a core length L′ in the longitudinaldirection as measured from edge to edge, including the region of thecore wrap which does not enclose the absorbent material, in particularat the front end seal 280′ and the back end seal 282′ when present. Ifthe core is not rectangular, the maximum dimension measured along thetransversal direction and the longitudinal direction can be used toreport the width and length of the core respectively. The width andlength of the core may vary depending on the intended usage. For babyand infant diapers, the width W′ may for example in the range from 40 mmto 200 mm and the length L′ from 100 mm to 600 mm. Adult incontinenceproducts may have higher maximum dimensions. The absorbent core may besymmetrical relative to its longitudinal axis 80. The longitudinal axisof the core typically overlaps with the longitudinal axis of theabsorbent article when the core is incorporated in the article, so bothlongitudinal axis are designated by the same number 80 in the Figures.

The absorbent material 60 comprises a blend of cellulose fibers withsuperabsorbent polymer (SAP) particles, also called absorbent gellingmaterials (AGM), see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,092 (Buell). Theamount of SAP is less than 80% by weight relative to the total weight ofthe absorbent material. The absorbent material in particular comprises,by weight, from 30% to 75% of SAP particles, in particular from 40% to70% by weight of SAP particles, or from 45% to 65% by weight of SAPparticles relative to the total weight of absorbent material. The restof the absorbent material may typically be cellulose fibers. Thus theamount of cellulose fibers in the absorbent material is at least 20%,more particularly from 25% to 70%, more particularly from 30% to 60%, byweight relative to the weight of the absorbent material of the core.Synthetic fibers may also be comprised in the absorbent core but are notconsidered as absorbent material unless they have absorbent capacity.

Suitable SAP may be any water-insoluble, water-swellable polymerscapable of absorbing large quantities of fluids, as is known in the art.The term “superabsorbent polymer” refers herein to absorbent materials,typically cross-linked polymeric materials, that can absorb at least 10times their weight of an aqueous 0.9% saline solution as measured usingthe Centrifuge Retention Capacity (CRC) test (EDANA method WSP 241.2.R3(12)). The SAP may in particular have a CRC value of more than 20 g/g,or more than 24 g/g, or of from 20 to 50 g/g, or from 20 to 40 g/g, or24 to 30 g/g.

The absorbent material 60 defines an absorbent material deposition areawithin the core wrap. The deposition area is delimited by the peripheryof the absorbent layer formed by the absorbent material, including thechannel areas, as seen from above within the plane of the core. Thedeposition area may be generally rectangular as shown in the Figure, butit may also be advantageously shaped so that the longitudinal edges 284,286 of the cores have a tapered section in the crotch region relative tothe front region and/or back region, as is known in the art forso-called “shaped cores”. Small size baby diapers may also comprise anotch on the front edge of the absorbent material's deposition area toadapt to the presence of remains of the umbilical cord of very smallbabies.

The absorbent material 60 may be deposited on one side of a core wrapmaterial, with the other side of the core wrap being then applied on topof the absorbent layer thus deposited. The two sides of the core wrapmay be made from a single substrate which is folded around the absorbentlayer, or alternatively two different substrates may be used to form thefirst and the second sides of the core wrap respectively. The absorbentcores of the present invention are not limited to a particular processfor making them, and the cores of the invention may be made byconventionally air-laying a blend of cellulose fibers and superabsorbentparticles on a conventional air-laying drum fitted with raised portionsmatching the shapes of the desired channels so that that substantiallyno absorbent material is deposited in these areas. See for exampleWO2004/011723 (Venturino et al.) for a modified drum having raisedportions to create areas having different basis weight. The shape of theraised portions may be adapted to make any desired channel shapes.

The absorbent core may have any caliper. Typically, the caliper of thecore (dry, i.e. before use) as measured at the centerpoint point (C) orat any other points of the surface of the core according may range from2.0 mm to 10.0 mm, in particular from 3.0 mm to 7.0 mm as measured at2.07 kPa (0.30 psi) with a flat circular foot having a diameter of 17.0mm (±0.2 mm).

First Type Channels 26 and Second Type Channels 56

The absorbent core 28 comprises at least two channels 26, 56 within theabsorbent material's deposition area. The channels may in particular beareas substantially free of absorbent material. “Substantially free”means that some minor amount of absorbent material may be present,however the basis weight of the absorbent material inside the channelsrepresents no more than 25% by weight relative to the average basisweight of the absorbent material in the deposition area (including thechannels). For example, if the average basis weight of the absorbentmaterial in the deposition area is 200 gsm, an area encompassed withinthe deposition area can be considered as a channel if it has a basisweight of absorbent material which is no more than 50 gsm. The basisweight of the absorbent material in the channels is advantageously evenlower, in particular no more than 20%, or no more than 10%, relative tothe average basis weight of the absorbent material in the depositionarea. The channels may be in particular areas completely free ofabsorbent material (minute amount of absorbent material accidental dueto involuntary contamination of the channels due to the high speed ofthe making process are of course disregarded).

According to the present invention, the absorbent core comprises twodifferent types of channels. The first type of channels 26 comprise abond 27 between the top side of the core wrap and the bottom side of thecore wrap. This bond provides for structural integrity of the channelsin dry and wet state. Any known bonding techniques known in the art maybe used to provide for this bond, in particular one selected fromadhesive bonding, thermo bonding, mechanical bonding, ultrasonicbonding, or any combinations thereof. An adhesive may be for exampleapplied in the areas of the channels on the inner side of the top sideand/or the inner side of the bottom side of the core wrap, typically byslot glue application or any other means, followed by the application ofpressure in the areas of the channels to provide a good adhesive bondingin these areas. Exemplary patent disclosures of such adhesive bondingprocesses can be found for absorbent cores in WO2012/170798A1 (Jackelset al.), EP2,905,000 (Jackels et al.) and EP2,905,001 (Armstrong-Ostleet al.).

Other bonding such as thermo bonding, mechanical bonding, ultrasonicbonding can also be used as additional bonding or as an alternativebonding. For example, in the first type of channels an adhesive bondingmay be reinforced by a thermo bonding, mechanical bonding or ultra-sonicbonding. Such thermo, mechanical or ultrasonic bonding can be applied onthe channel areas through the external sides of the core wrap, see forexample WO95/11652 (Tanzer et al.) disclosing secondary bondingcomprising a water-resistant adhesive or a thermo bond.

Typically the bonds 27 may generally have the same outline and shape asthe channel areas 26 in which they are contained, but may be slightlysmaller to allow for a safety margin (e.g. by a few mm) as somedeviations from the optimal registration may happen during high speedprocess. It is expected that channel bonds 27 may be more efficientlymade and stronger if they are provided in macroscopic areas with noabsorbent material (except of course accidental contamination) comparedto bonds provided in areas containing non-negligible absorbent material.

The absorbent core comprises a second type of channels wherein the corewrap is not bonded through the channels, or is at least less bonded thanin the first type of channels. This second type of channels with no orweaker bonds provide for an initial quick fluid distribution in the areaof the core where they are present. Once the core starts absorbingfluid, these channels of the second type do not restrict the swelling ofthe absorbent material and can immediately release extra space that canfill up with the expanding absorbent material.

Unbonded channels can be obtained by not providing an adhesive or anyother bonding means in the area of the channels of the second type, sothat the top side and the bottom side of the core wrap in these areawill not bond to each other. This is for example illustrated in FIGS.4-5 for the channels 56.

Channels of the second type may alternatively have weaker bonds that thechannels of the first type. In fact, it is common that an inner coreglue (also called auxiliary glue) is present on the inner surface of thesubstrate forming the top side and/or bottom side of the core wrap. Suchinner core glue may be used to at least partially immobilize theabsorbent material within the core wrap. The inner core glue istypically applied broadly on at least one side of the core wrap by slotcoating in the form of longitudinal stripes or spiral coating on theinner surface of a substrate as is known in the art. Thus in the caseswhere glue is present within the core wrap, it may be difficult orcomplex to avoid applying any glue in the relatively narrow zones withinthe deposition area that correspond to the second type of channels.However, these adhesives will not provide channel bonds or only weakbonds if the adhesive is provided at relatively low basis weight and/orif no or little pressure is applied between the two sides of the corewrap in these regions during the making process of the core. An hotmeltadhesive will also typically cool in a few seconds and loose itsadhesive properties, so that if no or little pressure is applied in thechannel areas directly after the application, an auxiliary glue orfibrous network hotmelt adhesive will not create a bond or at least amuch weaker one than if a strong pressure was applied after a fewmilliseconds following glue application for example. Alternatively oradditionally, more of the same adhesive or a different adhesive (hereinreinforcing glue) may be applied in the area of the first type ofchannels but not in the second type of channels to provide strongerbonds in the first type of channels than in the second type of channels.Alternatively or additionally, additional bonding such as thermo-bondingor ultrasonic bonding may be used in addition to any of the structuraladhesives indicated previously in both type of channels.

To sum up, the channels of the first type are intentionally providedwith relatively strong bonds, for example by using a first bonding meanssuch as an inner core glue and an additional bonding means such as:additional pressure application to bond both sides of the core wrapand/or a supplementary reinforcing glue specifically for these channels,and/or a thermo-, ultrasonic- or mechanical bonding (such as embossing).The channels of the second types are on the other hand not provided withany bonds, or if bonds are present these bonds are not provided with theadditional bonding means of the first type of bonds. The channel bondsof the second type if they are present will thus more easily delaminatethan the bonds of the first types of channels.

The strength of the bonding between both sides of the core wrap in achannel can be characterized by its Static Peel Force Time. In summary,this parameter measures the time in minutes it takes for a 1-inch widesample to delaminate when one side of the sample is hanging with a 150 gweight attached to it. The first Static Peel Force Time is higher thanthe second Static Peel Force Time.

In a first aspect, the first Static Peel Force Time is more than 50minutes and the second Static Peel Force Time is less than 50 minutes.The first Static Peel Force Time may also be more than 60 minutes and/ormore than 70 minutes. This means that at least one of the channel hasStatic Peel Force Time above 50 minutes, but of course there may be morethan one channels having a Static Peel Force Time of more than 50minutes, for example a pair of such channels, or three, or four channelsor more. All these channels do not need to have the exact same StaticPeel Force Time to qualify as channels of the first type, as long astheir individual Static Peel Force Time is more than 50 minutes, inparticular more than 60 minutes or more than 70 minutes. Likewise, atleast one channel has a Static Peel Force Time of less than 50 minutes,but it is of course possible that more than one channel, in particular apair, or three, or four, or more channels have individual Static PeelForce Time of less than 50 minutes, in particular less than 40 minutes,or less than 35 minutes, or any values ranging from 0 minute to lessthan 30 minutes. All these channels do not need to have the exact sameStatic Peel Force Time to qualify as channels of the second type as longas their individual value are sufficient low. The second Static PeelForce Time may even be zero for one or more of the channels of thesecond type, meaning that this channel of the second type are not oronly very weakly bonded so that they open immediately.

In a second aspect, the first Static Peel Force Time may be at least 10%higher than the second Static Peel Force Time. In particular, the firstStatic Peel Force Time may be at least 20% higher than the second StaticPeel Force Time, more particularly the first Static Peel Force Time maybe at least 30% greater than the second Static Peel Force Time. If thesecond Static Peel Force is 0, in such as case the minimum value of thefirst Static Peel Force Time may be at least 10 minutes, in particularat least 20 minutes or at least 30 minutes.

In a third aspect, the first Static Peel Force Time is at least 20minutes greater than the second Static Peel Force Time. In particular,the first Static Peel Force Time may be at least 30 minutes greater thanthe second Static Peel Force Time, more particularly the first StaticPeel Force Time may be at least 40 minutes greater than the secondStatic Peel Force Time. Of course the channels of the invention canadvantageously combine any of the first, second and third aspects, forexample the first and second, or the first and the third or the firstand the second.

The channels of the first type and the second type may be generallyformed in the same manner, except for the bonding step for the firsttype of channels, which does not exist or is much weaker than in thesecond type of channels. Thus the channels of the first type canpotentially have the same general shape and placement as the channels ofthe second type. Herein, when the term “channels” is used withoutfurther indication, it is meant any or all of the “channels of the firsttype and/or channels of the second type”, unless it is clear from thecontext that a particular type of channels was meant.

It is advantageous in terms of side leakage prevention that all, or atleast some of, the channels do not extend to any of the edges of thedeposition area formed by absorbent material layer. In other words atleast one of the channels of each type may be advantageously completelyencompassed within the deposition area formed by the absorbent material.The channels in the core may in particular end at a distance of at least5 mm from any outer edges of the absorbent layer's deposition area. Thechannels of the first type and the channels of the second may beseparated from each other by a separating zone or buffer comprisingabsorbent material, as represented in FIGS. 6-7. The minimal distancebetween channels of the first type and the channels of the second typemay be for example at least 5 mm, in particular at least 10 mm. This canhelp avoiding that fluid collected in the channels of the first type areconducted immediately in the channels of the second type and so thatthese would prematurely disappear at the first gush of insulting liquid,especially when the channels of the first type are in the crotch regionof the article. It is however not excluded that some or all of thechannels of the second type may also be connected to the channels of thefirst type.

Channels of each type may be disposed as one or more pair of channelssymmetrically disposed relative to the longitudinal axis, so that thechannels of the first type are mirror image of each other relative tothe longitudinal axis, and likewise the channels of the second type aremirror image of each other relative to the longitudinal axis. Thistypically provides for better fit and fluid distribution than if thechannels were randomly or non-symmetrically disposed. It is not excludedthat the pair of channels may be joined together at their front and/orback extremities.

The channels are typically longitudinally-extending, meaning that eachchannel extends at least as much in the longitudinal direction than inthe transversal direction, and typically at least twice as much in thelongitudinal direction than in the transverse direction (as measuredafter projection on the respective longitudinal and transversal axis).One or more of the channels may have a length to height ratio (CL/CH)that ranges from 2 to 20, in particular from 4 to 15 see for exampleEP2,979,671A1 (Kreuzer et al.) for example of channels with such ratioand how to calculate them. At least some the channels may have a lengthLc projected on the longitudinal axis 80 that is at least 2% of thelength L′ of the absorbent core, in particular from 5% to 30% of thecore length L′. At least some the channels may have a width Wc along atleast part of their length which is at least 2 mm, or at least 3 mm orat least 4 mm, up to for example 20 mm, or 16 mm or 12 mm. The width Wcfor each channel may be constant through substantially its whole lengthor may vary along its length. For example the channels may be straightand longitudinally oriented with the width gradually decreasing orincreasing from front to back of the article. The width of the channelsmay be the same or different between different channels.

Looking more closely at the exemplary core shown in a top view inisolation on FIG. 6, this core example has a first pair of first typechannels 26 toward the longitudinal middle of the core, a first pair ofsecond type channels 56 a towards the front 280 of the core, and asecond pair of second type channels 56 b towards the back 282 of thecore. The absorbent core may alternatively comprise only one pair ofsecond type channels either in the front or back. Of course an absorbentcore according to the invention may comprise more or less channels thanrepresented in the illustration.

More generally, it may be advantageous that at least one channel, inparticular a pair of channels, of the first type is at least partiallypresent in the crotch region 63 of the article and optionally extendinto the front region 62 and/or the back region 64 of the article. Thisis believed to provide for a better wet fit of the absorbent article. Inaddition or alternatively, at least one, in particular a pair, of thesecond type of channels 56 a may be at least partially present in thefront region of the article, and/or at least one, in particular a pair,of the second type of channels 56 b may be at least partially present inthe back region of the article. These channels of the second type areuseful as indicated previously to provide for early distribution of thefluid when the absorbent core starts to absorb fluid.

The channels in FIG. 6 are all straight and oriented longitudinally.However different shape and orientation of the channels are possible.For example at least some of the channels may be curved. In particularsome of the channels may be concave towards the longitudinal axis 80, asin inverted brackets) (in particular at least the channels of the firsttype present in the crotch region. Example of such curved channels ofthe first type are illustrated in a non-limiting manner in WO2012/170779(Rosati et al.). Any of the channels may have an arcuate portion facingthe longitudinal axis, and an angle between a tangent line of thearcuate portion and the longitudinal axis is greater than or equal to 20degrees. Channels with an arcuate portion are for example disclosed inWO2014/093130A1 (Roe et al.).

Some of the channels may also be straight but at an angle relative tothe longitudinal axis, for example up to 60°, or up to 40° relative to aline parallel to the longitudinal axis. This is for example illustratedon FIG. 7 for the two pairs of second type channels 56′b and 56′a. Thechannels may have other shape or orientation as those indicated above.For example the channels may be branched, or U shaped, and/or form apocket towards the back of the article, especially for bonded channelsof the first type, as exemplarity disclosed in WO2014/093129A (Roe etal.). There may or may not be a channel that partially extendslongitudinally and coincides with the longitudinal axis of the article,however such a channel may create a folding line in the middle of thearticle that may cause the article to fold downwards which may causesome loss of contact. When present as one ore symmetrical pair(s)relative to the longitudinal axis, the channels be spaced apart from oneanother over part of or their whole longitudinal dimension. The spacingdistance may be at some points or over the whole length of the channelsfor example at least 5 mm, or at least 10 mm, or at least 16 mm asmeasured in the transversal direction. Some channels are present as apair may be also joined at their base as in a U-shape or V-shape, or maybe joined towards their middle to form a cross or X-shape.

Taken as a whole, the cumulated length of all the channels projected onthe longitudinal axis (without counting double for any overlap in casetwo channels, such as a pair of channels, are positioned at anoverlapping position on the longitudinal axis) may represent from 10% to80% of the full length of the article L. For example, on FIG. 6, thecumulative length of the channels is L56b+L26+L56a (the length of thechannels of the first type in the crotch region, plus the length of thechannels of the second type in the back region, plus the length of thechannels of the second type in the front region). Likewise on FIG. 7,the cumulative length of the channels is L56′b+L26+L56′a. The cumulativeprojected length of the channels divided by the length of the article Land expressed in percentage may thus range from 10% to 80%, or 20% to70%, in particular from 10% to 30%, or from 30% to 70%.

Core Wrap 16, 16′

The absorbent core comprises a core wrap which encloses the absorbentmaterial. The core wrap can typically comprise a substrate for receivingthe absorbent material when the core is made. Various core wrapconstructions are possible. The core wrap may in particular comprise asrepresented in the Figures two separate substrates 16, 16′ forming thetop side and the bottom side of the core wrap respectively. Having twodifferent substrates for example allows more easily depositing an innercore glue on both the inner surface of the top side and the innersurface of the bottom side of the core wrap before combining thesesubstrates to form the core wrap. The two substrates may be attached ina C-wrap or sandwich configuration with two longitudinal seals 284′,286′, and optionally a front seal 280′ and a back seal 282′. Howeverthis core wrap construction is not limiting of the invention, as anyconventional core wrap construction may also be used, for example asingle substrate on a portion of which the absorbent material isdeposited and then the rest of the substrate folded over the depositedabsorbent material to form the other side of the core. This singlesubstrate construction can then be sealed longitudinally with a singlelongitudinal edge seal. The core wrap may also comprise two substratesdisposed flat in a face to face relation (sandwich) with longitudinalside seals along their longitudinal sides.

The core wrap material may be any materials suitable for receiving andcontaining the absorbent material. Typical substrate materials used inthe production of conventional cores may be used, in particular paper,tissues, films, wovens or nonwovens, or laminate of any of these. Thecore wrap may in particular be formed by a nonwoven web, such as acarded nonwoven, spunbond nonwoven (“S”) or meltblown nonwoven (“M”),and laminates of any of these. For example spunmelt polypropylenenonwovens are suitable, in particular those having a laminate web SMS,or SMMS, or SSMMS, structure, and having a basis weight range of about 5gsm to 15 gsm. Suitable materials are for example disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 7,744,576, US 2011/0268932A1, US2011/0319848A1 and US2011/0250413A1.Nonwoven materials are typically made of synthetic fibers, such as PE,PET and in particular PP fibers. It is also possible than the core wrapmay be at least partially formed from a component of the article havinganother function than merely serve as a substrate for the absorbentmaterial. For example, it is possible that the backsheet may form thebottom side of the core wrap and/or that a distribution layer or thetopsheet may form the top side of the core wrap. However, typically thecore wrap is made of one or more substrates whose only or main functionis to receive and enclose the absorbent material, as indicatedpreviously.

As used herein, the terms “nonwoven layer” or “nonwoven web” generallymeans a manufactured sheet, web or batt of directionally or randomlyorientated fibers, bonded by friction, and/or cohesion and/or adhesion,excluding paper and products which are woven, knitted, tufted,stitch-bonded incorporating binding yarns or filaments, or felted bywet-milling, whether or not additionally needled. The fibers may be ofnatural or synthetic origin and may be staple or continuous filaments orbe formed in situ. Commercially available fibers have diameters rangingfrom less than about 0.001 mm to more than about 0.2 mm and they come inseveral different forms such as short fibers (known as staple, orchopped), continuous single fibers (filaments or monofilaments),untwisted bundles of continuous filaments (tow), and twisted bundles ofcontinuous filaments (yam). Nonwoven webs can be formed by manyprocesses such as meltblowing, spunbonding, solvent spinning,electrospinning, carding and airlaying. The basis weight of nonwovenwebs is usually expressed in grams per square meter (g/m² or gsm).

As illustrated in FIGS. 4-5, a first substrate 16 may substantially formthe whole of the top side of the core wrap and a second substrate 16′substantially form the whole of the bottom side of the core wrap, but itis not excluded that this may be the other way round. By “substantiallyforming the whole of the surface”, it is meant that if present, theoutwardly extending flaps of the other substrate that have been foldedlongitudinally may also form part of the surface considered. The firstsubstrate 16 may comprise two side flaps laterally extending along thelength of the core and which are folded inwardly over each side edge284, 286 of the absorbent core and the flaps may be attached to theouter surface of the second substrate 16′ for example by using anadhesive seal along each C-wrap seal 284′, 286′. One or two continuousor semi-continuous lines of glue may be typically applied along thelength of the flaps to bond the inner surface of the flaps to theexternal surface of the other substrate. The reverse construction may ofcourse also be used with the bottom substrate forming flaps over the topsubstrate.

The core may also comprise so-called sandwich seals where the twosubstrates are bonded along one edge of the core to each other inface-to-face relationship with the inner surface of each substratebonded to the inner surface of the other substrate. These sandwich sealscan for example be formed using a hotmelt glue applied in a series ofstripes in a direction perpendicular to the front and back edges 280,282 of the core. These end seals 280′, 282′ are however optional as manyabsorbent cores are left open at the front and back ends. Thelongitudinal edges may also be bonded by such a sandwich seal.

Inner Core Glue

An inner core glue between the top side and bottom side of the core wrapis optional but advantageous. The inner core glue can improve theadhesion between the inner surfaces of the core wrap and the absorbentmaterial. The inner core glue may also at least partially form the bonds27 between the two sides of the core wrap for the first type ofchannels. The inner core glue may also be responsible for some bondingin the second type of channels, if these have any bond at all. The corewrap may be locally pressed together on the areas of the first channelswhile the glue is still hot to increase the strength of the adhesivebonding in these areas.

When present, the inner core glue may be applied directly over the innersurface of the top side and/or the inner surface of the bottom side ofthe core wrap to an area at least partially (e.g. at least 50% and up to100%) corresponding to the deposition area of the absorbent material toat least partially immobilize the absorbent material. The inner coreglue may be applied according to any known techniques, in particular itmay be applied as a series of longitudinally extending slots of glue asis known in the art, alternatively by other non-contact applicators suchas spiral glue applicators, before the absorbent material is depositedon the nonwoven. The inner glue may thus be present in particularbetween the absorbent material and the inner surface of the bottom sideof the core wrap, and/or between the absorbent material and the innersurface of the top side of the core wrap. An example of partial coverageof the deposition area by an inner core glue (also called auxiliaryglue) to immobilize the absorbent material and to form channel bonds isfor example disclosed in EP2,886,092 (Stelzig et al.). A fibrousthermoplastic material may also be present within the core wrap to helpimmobilizing the AGM particles, especially if the core is free ofcellulose fibers.

Pant-Like Articles

As indicated previously, the invention may be also used in absorbentarticles presented in the form of a pant or underwear (herein “pant”).In these articles, the waist and the leg openings are pre-formed duringmanufacture so that the article can be put on like underwear. These pantarticles typically have a front waist panel and a back waist panel whichare sealed together via side seams. The side seams can be broken toremove and discard the article and are typically not re-fastenable. Thefront and back waist panels are typically elasticized. Pants are used astaped diapers on babies and younger children for day wear and forovernight dryness, as training pant for older children at the toilettraining stage, and also as adult incontinence protection.

Pant-like articles typically comprise a front waist panel and a backwaist panel joined together via side seams to form the waist opening andat least part of the leg openings. The waist panels are typicallyelasticized, either using a material which is inherently elastic to makethem (such as a laminate comprising an elastomeric layer between twononwoven layers) or by sandwiching a plurality of elastic strandsbetween two nonwovens along the width of the panels, as is known in theart. The pants also typically comprises a chassis comprising theremaining components of the article, in particular the topsheet, thebacksheet, the absorbent core and barrier cuffs including upstandingbarrier leg cuffs and attached on one side to the front waist panel andon the other side of the back waist panel. These components may begenerally constructed as in previously disclosed for the taped diaper.

Having described in details the key features of the invention, thefollowing sections provide more details on some of the typicalcomponents found in absorbent articles. The materials described beloware of course optional and non-limiting, unless explicitly indicatedotherwise.

Topsheet 24

The topsheet typically forms the majority of the wearer-contactingsurface of the article and is the first layer that the body exudatescontact. The topsheet is preferably compliant, soft-feeling, andnon-irritating to the wearer's skin. Further, at least a portion of thetopsheet is liquid permeable, permitting liquids to readily penetratethrough its thickness. Any known topsheet may be used in the presentinvention. A suitable topsheet may be manufactured from a wide range ofmaterials. Most topsheets are nonwoven materials or apertured formedfilms, but other materials are possible such as porous foams,reticulated foams, woven materials. Typical diaper topsheets have abasis weight of from about 10 gsm to about 28 gsm, in particular betweenfrom about 12 gsm to about 18 gsm but higher basis weights are possibleif it is desired to provide a very soft feeling wearer-contactingsurface for example.

Nonwoven topsheets may be made of natural fibers (e.g., wood or cottonfibers), synthetic fibers or filaments (e.g. polyester or polypropyleneor bicomponent PE/PP fibers or mixtures thereof), or a combination ofnatural and synthetic fibers. If the topsheet includes nonwoven fibers,the fibers may be spunbond, carded, wet-laid, meltblown, hydroentangled,or otherwise processed as is known in the art. In particular thetopsheet may be a spunbond PP nonwoven. A suitable topsheet comprising aweb of staple-length polypropylene fibers is manufactured by Veratec,Inc., a Division of International Paper Company, of Walpole, Mass. underthe designation P-8.

The topsheet may be of the type comprising a plurality of apertures. Atleast some of the apertures may have an area ranging from 1 mm² to 20mm², and the topsheet may in particular comprise on average from 1 to 20apertures per cm². The aperture ratio (the surface of all the aperturesdivided by the overall surface of the topsheet, measured when thetopsheet is in a relaxed state, i.e. with just enough tension to smoothout any wrinkles) is advantageously in the range from 10% to 45%, inparticular from 25% to 40%, more particularly from 30% to 35%.Typically, the total area of the apertures at the surface of a diapermay have an area of between about 10 cm² and about 50 cm², in particularbetween about 15 cm² and 35 cm². Examples of apertured topsheet aredisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,632,504 (Gillespie et at.).

WO 2011/163582 (Rinnert et al.) also discloses a suitable colorednonwoven topsheet having a basis weight of from 12 to 18 gsm andcomprising a plurality of bonded points. Each of the bonded points has asurface area of from 2 mm² to 5 mm² and the cumulated surface area ofthe plurality of bonded points is from 10 to 25% of the total surfacearea of the topsheet.

Suitable formed film topsheets are also described in U.S. Pat. Nos.3,929,135, 4,324,246, 4,342,314, 4,463,045, and 5,006,394. Othersuitable topsheets may be made in accordance with U.S. Pat. Nos.4,609,518 and 4,629,643. Such formed films are available from TheProcter & Gamble Company of Cincinnati, Ohio as “DRI-WEAVE” and fromTredegar Corporation, based in Richmond, Va., as “CLIFF-T”. The topsheetmay also have a three-dimensional appearance and feel, or there may bean additional, smaller, three-dimensional layer placed on top of thetopsheet. Such three-dimensional additional layers may be for exampleparticularly useful to receive low viscous exudates such as the stool ofyoung babies. Examples of such fluid entangled dual layeredthree-dimensional materials and processes to obtain them have beendisclosed for example in US2014/0121623A1, US2014/0121621A1,US2014/0121624A1, US2014/0121625A1.

The topsheet may also be treated with a wetting agent to make it morehydrophilic. The wetting agent may be a surfactant as is known in theart. Other possible treatments are for example special coating bynanoparticles, as for example described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,645,569,6,863,933, US2003/148684 and US2005/008839 (Cramer et al.) and U.S. Pat.No. 7,112,621 (Rohrbaugh et al). Any portion of the topsheet may alsocoated with a lotion as is known in the art. Examples of suitablelotions include those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,607,760, 5,609,587,5,643,588, 5,968,025 and 6,716,441. The topsheet may also include or betreated with antibacterial agents, some examples of which are disclosedin WO95/24173. Further, the topsheet, the backsheet or any portion ofthe topsheet or backsheet may be embossed and/or matte finished toprovide a more cloth like appearance.

Backsheet 25

The backsheet may be any backsheet known in the art for absorbentarticles. The backsheet may be positioned directly adjacent thegarment-facing surface of the absorbent core. The backsheet prevents, orat least inhibits, the exudates absorbed and contained therein fromsoiling articles such as bedsheets and undergarments. The backsheet istypically impermeable, or at least substantially impermeable, to liquids(e.g., urine). The backsheet may, for example, be or comprise a thinplastic film such as a thermoplastic film having a thickness of about0.012 mm to about 0.051 mm. The basis weight of those films is usuallyas low as possible to save material costs, typically from 10 gsm to 30gsm, in particular below 20 gsm. A covering low basis weight nonwovenmay be attached to the external surface of the film to provide for asofter touch.

Suitable backsheet materials include breathable materials which permitvapors to escape from the absorbent article while still preventing, orat least inhibiting, exudates from passing through the backsheet.Example breathable materials may include materials such as woven webs,nonwoven webs, composite materials such as film-coated nonwoven webs,microporous films such as manufactured by Mitsui Toatsu Co., of Japanunder the designation ESPOIR NO and by Tredegar Corporation of Richmond,Va., and sold under the designation EXAIRE, and monolithic films such asmanufactured by Clopay Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio under the nameHYTREL blend P18-3097.

The film may include at least about 10 weight percent filler particles,for example filler particles that include calcium carbonate, so thatwherein the film has been stretched in the machine direction, e.g. to atleast about 150 percent, fractures are formed where said fillerparticles are located. The films may be biaxially stretched at leastabout 150 percent in the machine direction and a transverse direction tocause fractures to form where said filler particles are located.Breathable films may generally have Water Vapor Transmission Rates(WVTR) in excess of 300 grams per square meter per 24 hours. The WVTRmay be measured by the Desiccant Method as indicated in ASTME96/E96M-14.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,075,179 for example discloses a suitable multilayer filmcomprising: a core layer made from an extrudable thermoplastic polymer,the core layer having a first exterior surface and a second exteriorsurface, a first skin layer attached to the first exterior surface ofsaid core layer to form the multilayer film, the multilayer filmdefining an overall thickness. The first skin layer defines a first skinthickness, and comprising less than about ten percent of said overallthickness. The overall thickness is not exceeding about 30 micrometersand the multilayer film is a liquid barrier and has a WVTR of at least300 g/m2/24 hours.

The backsheet may further typically comprise a nonwoven on its mostexternal side to improve softness. Exemplary laminates comprising abreathable film and a nonwoven layer are for example disclosed inWO2014/022,362A1, WO2014/022,652A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,837,352. Thenonwoven web may in particular comprise a spunbond nonwoven web and/or alaminate of a spunbond nonwoven web and a meltblown nonwoven web. Thelaminate may also have a water vapor transmission rate of at least 300g/m2/24 hours. U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,056 for example disclosessubstantially liquid impermeable, vapor permeable composite backsheet.

Acquisition Layer 52

The absorbent article may advantageously comprise an acquisition layer52, sometimes referred to as secondary topsheet, whose function is toquickly acquire the fluid away from the topsheet so as to provide a gooddryness for the wearer. The acquisition layer is typically placeddirectly under the topsheet. There may be optionally a distributionlayer (not represented) at least partially disposed under theacquisition layer 52. The acquisition layer may typically be or comprisea non-woven material, for example a SMS or SMMS material, comprising aspunbonded, a melt-blown and a further spunbonded layer, but many otheralternatives material are known in the art and may be used instead inparticular a cared nonwoven. Nonwovens have the advantage that they canbe manufactured outside the converting line and stored and used as aroll of material. The nonwoven material may be latex bonded. Exemplaryupper acquisition layers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,786,341.Carded, resin-bonded nonwovens may be used, in particular where thefibers used are solid round or round and hollow PET staple fibers (50/50or 40/60 mix of 6 denier and 9 denier fibers). An exemplary binder is abutadiene/styrene latex. Further useful nonwovens are described in U.S.Pat. No. 6,645,569 (Cramer et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,933 (Cramer etal.), U.S. Pat. No. 7,112,621 (Rohrbaugh et al.), US2003/148684 (Crameret al.) and US2005/008839 (Cramer et al.). The acquisition layer may bestabilized by a latex binder, for example a styrene-butadiene latexbinder (SB latex). Processes for obtaining such latices are known, forexample, from EP 149880 (Kwok) and US 2003/0105190 (Diehl et al.). Thebinder may typically be present in the acquisition layer in amountranging from about 12% to about 50%, for example about 30%, by totalweight of the acquisition layer. SB latex is available under the tradename GENFLO™ 3160 (OMNOVA Solutions Inc.; Akron, Ohio).

Another typical acquisition layer may be a bonded carded web, inparticular a through-air bonded carded web (“TABCW”). “Bonded cardedweb” refers to webs that are made from staple fibers that are sentthrough a combing or carding unit, which breaks apart and aligns thestaple fibers in the machine direction to form a generally machinedirection-oriented fibrous nonwoven web. This web is then drawn througha heated drum, creating bonds throughout the fabric without applyingspecific pressure (thru air bonding process). A TABCW material providesa low density, lofty through-air bonded carded web. The web may forexample have a specific weight basis level at about 15 gsm to about 120gsm (gram per square meter), in particular about 30 gsm to about 80 gsm.A TABCW material can for example comprise about 3 to about 10 denierstaple fibers. Examples of such TABCW are disclosed in WO2000/71067 (KIMDOO-HONG et al.). TABCW are available directly from all usual suppliersof nonwoven webs for use in absorbent articles, for example Fitesa Ltdor Fiberweb Technical Nonwovens.

A further acquisition layer (not shown) may be used in addition to thefirst acquisition layer described above. For example a tissue layer maybe placed between the first acquisition layer and a distribution layer.The tissue may have enhanced capillarity distribution propertiescompared to the acquisition layers described above. The tissue and thefirst acquisition layer may be of the same size or may be of differentsize, for example the tissue layer may extend further in the back of theabsorbent article than the first acquisition layer. An example of ahydrophilic tissue is a 13 to 15 gsm high wet strength tissue made ofcellulose fibers from supplier Havix.

Fastening System 42, 44

The absorbent article may include a fastening system, especially whenthe article is a taped diaper as exemplified in FIG. 1. The fasteningsystem can be used to provide lateral tensions about the circumferenceof the absorbent article to hold the absorbent article on the wearer.Such a fastening system is not necessary for pant articles such astraining pants and adult incontinence pants since the waist region ofthese articles is already bonded and elasticized. The fastening systemusually comprises a fastener 42 such as tape tabs, hook and loopfastening components, interlocking fasteners such as tabs & slots,buckles, buttons, snaps, and/or hermaphroditic fastening components,although any other known fastening means are generally acceptable. Alanding zone 44 is normally provided on the front waist region of thearticle for the fastener 42 to be releasably attached. Some exemplarysurface fastening systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,848,594,4,662,875, 4,846,815, 4,894,060, 4,946,527, 5,151,092 and U.S. Pat. No.5,221,274 (Buell). An exemplary interlocking fastening system isdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,432,098. The fastening system may alsoprovide a means for holding the article in a disposal configuration asdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,140 (Robertson et al.) The fasteningsystem may also include primary and secondary fastening systems, asdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,622 to reduce shifting of overlappedportions or to improve fit as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,242,436,5,499,978, 5,507,86, and 5,591,152.

Front and Back Ears 46, 40

The absorbent article may comprise front ears 46 and back ears 40 as isknown in the art in taped diapers. Absorbent articles in pant chassisare already sealed along the waist edges typically do not require frontears and back ears. The ears can be integral part of the chassis, forexample formed from the topsheet and/or backsheet as side panel.Alternatively, as represented in FIG. 1, they may be separate elementsattached by gluing and/or heat embossing. The back ears 40 areoptionally stretchable to facilitate the attachment of the tabs 42 onthe landing zone 44 and maintain the taped diapers in place around thewearer's waist. The front ears 46 may also be optionally elastic orextensible to provide a more comfortable and contouring fit.

Barrier Leg Cuffs 34 and Gasketing Cuffs 32

Absorbent articles such as taped diapers, training pants or adultincontinence pants may typically further comprise cuff components 30that improve the fit of the article around the legs of the wearer. Suchcuffs typically comprise barrier leg cuffs 34 and gasketing cuffs 32.The cuffs 30 may comprise a piece of material, typically a nonwoven,which is one side partially bonded to the article and on the other sidecan be partially raised away from the topsheet and thus stand up fromthe plane defined by the topsheet as shown for example in FIG. 3. Bothparts of the cuffs may be advantageously elasticized. The raised part ofthe cuff components is referred to herein as barrier leg cuffs 34 andcan provide improved containment of liquids and other body exudatesapproximately at the junction of the torso and legs of the wearer. Thebarrier leg cuffs 34 extend at least partially between the front edgeand the back edge of the absorbent article on opposite sides of thelongitudinal axis and are at least present adjacent to the center pointC of the article.

The barrier leg cuffs 34 may be delimited by a proximal edge 37 joinedto the rest of the article, typically the topsheet, and a free terminaledge 38 intended to contact and form a seal with the wearer's skin. Thebarrier leg cuffs 34 may be joined at the proximal edge 37 with thechassis of the article by a bond which may be made for example byadhesive bonding, fusion bonding or combination of known bonding means,for example as disclosed in WO2014/168810A1 (Bianchi et al.). The bondat the proximal edge 37 may be continuous or intermittent.

The barrier leg cuffs 34 can be integral with (i.e. formed from) thetopsheet or the backsheet, or more typically be formed from a separatematerial joined to the rest of the article. Typically the material ofthe barrier leg cuffs may extend through the whole length of the articlebut is “tack bonded” to the topsheet towards the front edge and backedge of the article so that in these sections the barrier leg cuffmaterial remains flush with the topsheet. Each barrier leg cuff 34 maycomprise one, two or more elastic strings 35 close to its free terminaledge 38 to provide a better seal.

In addition to the barrier leg cuffs 34, the article may comprisegasketing cuffs 32, which are formed in the same plane as the chassis ofthe absorbent article, in particular may be at least partially enclosedbetween the topsheet and the backsheet, and typically placed furtherlaterally outwardly relative to the barrier leg cuffs 34. The gasketingcuffs 32 can provide a better seal around the thighs of the wearer.Usually each gasketing leg cuff 32 will comprise one or more elasticstring or elastic element 33 comprised in the chassis of the diaper forexample between the topsheet and backsheet in the area of the legopenings. Typically the barrier leg cuffs 34 are disposed moreinternally than the gasketing cuffs 32. The barrier leg cuffs are thusalso referred to as inner cuffs and the gasketing cuffs as outer cuffs.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,003 describes a disposable diaper whichprovides a contractible leg opening having a side flap and one or moreelastic members to provide an elasticized leg cuff (a gasketing cuff).U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,178 (Aziz) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,803 (Aziz)describe disposable diapers having “stand-up” elasticized flaps (barrierleg cuffs) which improve the containment of the leg regions. U.S. Pat.No. 4,695,278 (Lawson) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,454 (Dragoo) describedisposable diapers having dual cuffs, including gasketing cuffs andbarrier leg cuffs. All or a portion of the barrier leg and/or gasketingcuffs may be treated with a lotion.

Distribution Layer

The article may comprise a further intermediate layer between thetopsheet and the absorbent core, which will be referred herein as adistribution layer. The function of a distribution layer is to spread aninsulting fluid liquid over a larger surface within the article so thatthe absorbent capacity of the core can be more efficiently used. Such adistribution layer may be smaller in surface than the absorbent core'sfootprint and does typically not extend beyond the edges of the core'sfootprint. The distribution layer is typically made of a fibrousmaterial, which may be based on synthetic or cellulosic fibers. Thedistribution layer may also comprise channels that may at leastpartially or completely match the positions and the shape of all or anyof the channels of the absorbent core. The same consideration regardingthe shape, position and orientation for the channels of the absorbentcore can be re-applied for channels a distribution layer and thus willnot be repeated herein.

The distribution layer may thus be a fibrous layer which has an averagebasis weight of at least 50 g/m², in particular from 50 g/m² to 300g/m², and advantageously at least at least 100 g/m². The average basisweight is calculated by dividing the weight amount of the fibers by thearea of the distribution where the fibers are present (including channelarea in the distribution layer). The distribution layer may have arelatively low density. The density of the layer may vary depending onthe compression of the article, but may typically range from 0.03 g/cm³to 0.25 g/cm³, in particular from 0.05 g/cm³ to 0.15 g/cm³, measured at0.30 psi (2.07 kPa). The density of the intermediate layer is measuredat the centerpoint C of the article for this purpose.

The fibrous material may be manufactured by air-laying the fibers on adrum comprising several molds each having the required depth profile forthe desired fibrous material configuration. The formed distributionlayer can then be directly un-molded onto another component of thearticle such as a nonwoven carrier layer and then integrated with therest of the article. There may be other layers between the distributionlayer and any of the topsheet and the absorbent core, for example anacquisition layer 52. When a nonwoven acquisition layer is present inthe article, the distribution layer may be for example deposited on thisacquisition layer, the two layers being further joined to absorbent coreand the rest of the article, as is known in the art.

The distribution layer is typically a fibrous layer. The distributionlayer may be a nonwoven material comprising fibers that are bonded toeach other so that the layer has a strong integrity and may bemanipulated independently of a substrate. Alternatively, thedistribution layer may be another type of fibrous layer, in particularthe distribution layer may comprise or consist of loose fibers with noor weak intra-fiber bonds, the fibers being deposited on a supportingsubstrate at varying basis weight to form a profiled distribution. Atypical example of distribution/intermediate material comprises orconsists of cross-linked cellulose fibers. The distribution/intermediatelayer may for example comprise at least 50% by weight of cross-linkedcellulose fibers. The cross-linked cellulosic fibers may be crimped,twisted, or curled, or a combination thereof including crimped, twisted,and curled. This type of material has been used in the past indisposable diapers as part of an acquisition system, for example US2008/0312622 A1 (Hundorf). The cross-linked cellulosic fibers providehigher resilience and therefore higher resistance against thecompression in the product packaging or in use conditions, e.g. underbaby weight.

Exemplary chemically cross-linked cellulosic fibers suitable for adistribution layer are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,549,791, 5,137,537,WO95/34329 or US2007/118087. The distribution layer comprisingcross-linked cellulose fibers may comprise other fibers, but this layermay comprise at least 50%, or 60%, or 70%, or 80%, or 90% or even up to100%, by weight of the layer, of cross-linked cellulose fibers(including the cross-linking agents). While the distribution materialmay be comprised of cellulose fibers, in particular cross-linkedcellulose fibers, other materials are possible.

Other Components

The absorbent articles of the invention can further comprise any othertypical components known for the intended purpose of the article thatare not illustrated in the Figures, such as a transverse barrier elementextending across the topsheet to form a receptacle for bowel movement, alotion application on the topsheet, a wetness indicator comprising a pHindicator disposed between the absorbent core and the backsheet, etc.These components are well-known in the art and will not be furtherdiscussed herein. Reference is made to WO2014/093310 where severalexamples of these components are disclosed in more details.

The absorbent article may also comprise at least one elastic waist band(also called elastic waist feature) disposed parallel to and along theback edge of the article and less commonly parallel to and along thefront edge of the article. Such waistbands help providing improved fitand containment at the back and/or front edge of the article. Theelastic waist feature is generally intended to elastically expand andcontract to dynamically fit the wearer's waist. The elastic waist bandmay be constructed in a number of different configurations. Non-limitingexamples of back and front waistbands can be found in WO2012/177400 andWO2012/177401 (Lawson), and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,515,595, 4,710,189,5,221,274 and 6,336,922 (VanGompel et al.).

Packages

A plurality of articles according to the invention may be packaged in apackage for transport and sale. At least 50% of the articles, andpreferably all the articles, in the package may be according to theinvention. The articles may be folded and packaged as is known in theart. The package may be for example a plastic bag or a cardboard box.Diapers may typically bi-folded along the transversal axis and the earsfolded inwardly before being packaged. The absorbent articles may bepacked under compression so as to reduce the size of the packages, whilestill providing an adequate amount of absorbent articles per package. Bypackaging the absorbent articles under compression, caregivers caneasily handle and store the packages, while also providing distributionand inventory savings to manufacturers owing to the size of thepackages.

The absorbent articles may thus be packaged compressed at an In-BagCompression Rate of at least 10%, in particular of from 10% to 50%, inparticular from 20% to 40%. The “In-Bag Compression Rate” as used hereinis one minus the height of a stack of 10 folded articles measured whileunder compression within a bag (“In-Bag Stack Height”) divided by theheight of a stack of 10 folded articles of the same type beforecompression, multiplied by 100; i.e. (1-In-Bag Stack Height/stack heightbefore compression)*100, reported as a percentage. Of course, the stackin the bag does not need to have exactly 10 articles, rather the valuemeasured for the height of stack of article in the package is divided bythe number of articles in the stack and then multiplied by 10. Themethod used to measure the In-Bag Stack Height is described in furtherdetails in the Test Procedures. The articles before compression aresampled from the production line between the folding unit and the stackpacking unit. The stack height before compression is measured by taking10 articles before compression and packing, and measuring their stackheight as indicated for the IBSH.

Packages of the absorbent articles of the present disclosure may inparticular have an In-Bag Stack Height of less than 110 mm, less than105 mm, less than 100 mm, less than 95 mm, less than 90 mm, specificallyreciting all 0.1 mm increments within the specified ranges and allranges formed therein or thereby, according to the In-Bag Stack HeightTest described herein. For each of the values indicated in the previoussentence, it may be desirable to have an In-Bag Stack Height of greaterthan 60, or greater than 70 mm, or greater than 75 mm, or greater than80 mm. Alternatively, packages of the absorbent articles of the presentdisclosure may have an In-Bag Stack Height of from 60 mm to 110 mm, from75 mm to 110 mm, from 80 mm to 110 mm, from 80 mm to 105 mm, or from 80mm to 100 mm, specifically reciting all 0.1 mm increments within thespecified ranges and all ranges formed therein or thereby, according tothe In-Back Stack Height Test described herein.

Relations Between the Layers and Components

Typically, adjacent layers will be joined together using conventionalbonding method such as adhesive coating via slot coating or spraying onthe whole or part of the surface of the layer, or thermo-bonding, orpressure bonding or combinations thereof. Most of the bonding betweencomponents is for clarity and readability not represented in the Figure.Bonding between the layers of the article should be considered to bepresent unless specifically excluded. Adhesives may be typically used toimprove the adhesion of the different layers, for example between thebacksheet and the core wrap. The adhesives used may be any standardhotmelt glue as known in the art. The individual components may beconverted into an absorbent article according to any of the processesknown in the art.

Process for Making

The topsheet 24, the backsheet 25, the absorbent core 28, theacquisition layer 52 and the other article components may be assembledin a variety of well-known configurations, in particular by gluing,heat-, ultrasonic- and/or pressure-bonding as is known in the art. Thesebonds are typically not represented in the Figures to preservereadability of the Figures, but are present as is known in the art. Thetopsheet can be attached directly or indirectly to an underlying layersuch as the absorbent core through channels in an intermediate layersuch as channels in a distribution layer. If the channels in theintermediate layer are material free, the topsheet may thus be bonded tothe top side of the absorbent core through the channels of theacquisition or distribution layer for example by adhesive bonding(gluing). Indirect bonding of the topsheet to an underlying layer may befor example provided when an acquisition layer not comprising channelsis present between the topsheet and a distribution layer with channels.

A process for making an absorbent core according to the invention maycomprise the following steps of:

-   -   providing a core wrap material;    -   depositing an absorbent material on the core wrap material on a        deposition area, wherein the deposition area comprises at least        two channels substantially free of absorbent material;    -   forming a core wrap having a top side and bottom side enclosing        the absorbent material; so that the deposition area is between        the top side and the bottom side of the core wrap;    -   bonding both sides of the core wrap to another in at least a        first channel to make a channel of the first type, while not        bonding or weakly bonding the bottom side and the top side of        the core wrap in a second channel to make a channel of the        second type.

The process may advantageously comprise the step of applying an innercore glue on the inner surface of the core wrap material before and/orafter the step of deposition the absorbent material so that at least aportion of the absorbent material area is adhesively immobilized on thetop side and/or the bottom side of the core wrap.

The core wrap material can be as indicated before any usual materialknown in the art, typically a nonwoven. The absorbent material may bedeposited as a layer on the core wrap material using any known suitabletechniques. The deposition may be continuous, for example as in anairlaying process where a constant flow of particles and cellulosefibers are mixed in a chamber before being pulled by negative pressuretowards the core wrap material on the other side of the airlayingchamber. The core wrap material may typically lay on a rotating drumwhile the absorbent material is deposited with the airlaying chamberbeing stationary. The outer surface of the drum comprises raisedportions matching the shapes of the desired channels so that thatsubstantially no absorbent material is deposited in these areas.

The core wrap may be formed according to any typical process used inabsorbent core making. The core wrap material may be provided having awidth more than twice as wide as the deposition area so that a span ofthe core wrap material can be folded over the absorbent materialdeposited on the rest of the core wrap, with a longitudinal bond(typically adhesive) between the overlapping spans of core wrap materialto ensure core integrity. Alternatively the core wrap material maycomprise a first substrate on which the absorbent material is depositedand forms a first side of the core wrap, with a second substrate beingapplied on top of the absorbent material, with both substrates beingthen typically bonded longitudinally along an overall (C-wrap orsandwich seals).

As discussed previously, an inner core glue may be typically on at leastone, or both, of the inner surface of the top side and/or the bottomside of the core wrap to provide for better immobilization of theabsorbent material. The inner core glue may also form or at leastcontribute to the bonds of the first type of channels (and optionallythe second type as well, as long as the second type of bonds areweaker). The inner core glue may be applied as a pattern oflongitudinally-extending stripes, or spirals, or any other pattern as isknown in the art. The inner core glue may be applied on the core wrapmaterial before the absorbent material is deposited thereon, oralternatively on the second part of the core wrap that is folded over,or separately added to the core wrap material.

The top side and the bottom side of the core wrap are bonded to make oneor more channels of the first type, as indicated above. The bond in thefirst type of channels may be in particular provided by an inner coreglue and an additional bonding means, in particular wherein theadditional bonding means is a reinforcing glue and/or ultrasonic bondingand/or thermo bonding and/or additional pressure. The second type ofchannels may be completely unbonded, or if they comprise a weaker bondthis bond may be in particular limited to a bond provided for example bythe same inner core glue as the first type of bonds, but do not comprisean additional bonding means as indicated above. For example, the firsttype of bonds may be adhesive bonds wherein the top side and the bottomside of the core wrap have been locally pressed together to increase thestrength of the adhesive bonds, while the core wrap in the second typeof channels have not been pressed together, and thus do not form astrong bond even if they comprise some of the inner core glue. Inanother example, the first bond may be an adhesive bond complementedwith an additional bonding means such as a thermo- or ultrasonic bond,and the second type of channels may comprise no bond or only the sametype of adhesive bond as the first type of channels without theadditional bonding means.

Test Procedures

The values indicated herein are measured according to the methodsindicated herein below, unless specified otherwise. All measurements areperformed at 21° C.±2° C. and 50%±5% RH, and samples should be kept atleast 24 hours in these conditions to equilibrate before conducting thetests, unless indicated otherwise. For example the Static Peel ForceTime is measured at 23 degrees as is indicated below.

Static Peel Force Time

The purpose of the Static Peel Force Time (SPFT) test method is tomeasure the bond strength between the top side and the bottom side ofthe core wrap within the channels. This test method measures how longthe bond is able to withstand a constantly applied vertical force ofabout 150 grams (Static Peel Force Time) under standardized conditions.

Equipment

Medium Clip Medium Binder Clips 25 mm Capacity (#72050). ACCO WorldProduct. Other suppliers: Yihai Products (#Y10003), Universal OfficeProducts (#10210), Diamond (#977114), or equivalent. The clip weights4.5 g +/− 1 g. Large Clip Large Binder Clips 2 inch (50.8 mm). ACCOWorld Product. Other suppliers: Yihai Products, Universal OfficeProducts, Diamond, or equivalent Test Stand RT-10 room temperature(Shear Tester) w/ timer. ChemInstruments, 510 Commercial Drive,Fairfield Ohio 45014-9797, USA; or equivalent. Must be placed in avibration free area. Weight 150 g (+/−1 g) TW150 Shear Tester Weightwith hook on top (to attach to the clip). ChemInstruments, 510Commercial Drive, Fairfield Ohio 45014- 9797, USA; or equivalent CuttingTools Scissors and a 25.4 mm (1 inch) cutter (convenient source, e.g.JDC Precision Sample Cutter made by Thwings-Albert Instrument CompanyPhiladelphia USA, cat# 99, cut width 25.4 mm, accuracy at least +/−0.1mm) Metal Ruler Traceable to NIST, DIN, JIS or other comparable NationalStandard, graduated in mm, longer than the length to be measuredTemperature Testo-temperature device (or equivalent) to measuretemperature at sample height with an accuracy of ±0.5° C. and ±2.5% RHin the range between −10° C. and +50° C. Testo GmbH & Co., Postbox 1140,D-79849 Lenzkirch (www.testo.com) Article number for Testo 625: 05636251.

Core Preparation:

Typically the absorbent core is taken from a commercial article (e.g.diaper), and can be extracted from the article as follows (see FIG. 8):

-   -   1. Open the diaper topsheet side up and place it flat onto a        table. For pants, open the side seams and remove waistbands.        Hold the diaper with one hand and carefully remove the ears (40)        and the barrier cuffs (30) along the cuffs continuous bond        (outer edge) on both sides of the articles.    -   2. Gently remove topsheet and acquisition system without        damaging the core end seals if present. The backsheet does not        need to be removed.

Channel Sample Preparation (see FIG. 9):

-   -   1. Put each core under a lamp table or a UV-light to identify        the beginning and the end of each channel.    -   2. Define the longitudinal center of the channel area by using a        ruler and mark a line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis        passing through the center of the channel area.    -   3. Lay the core (28) on a supporting table (900) fitted with the        25.4 mm wide cutter (901) and align to the centerline of the        channel. Double sided tapes (902) may be used to keep the sample        in place. The table comprises two grooves or gaps on each side        of the area to be cut so that the cutter blade can penetrate        through the thickness of the core.    -   4. Cut the core in transversal direction to obtain a sample band        centered on the centerline of the channel, optionally check the        width of the cut sample band (target=25±2 mm).    -   5. Use the scissors to cut the 1-inch wide sample band in the        longitudinal direction to obtain a sample (100) comprising the        channel bond (27). There should be at least a 5 mm channel-free        flap (101) between the channel bond and the inner edge (102) of        the sample to ensure proper manipulation of the sample—see        FIG. 10. Obtain a left sample and right sample if applicable.        Label the cut samples appropriately, e.g. left/right channels.    -   6. The sample will be clamped on the outer edge (103) during the        test. The outer edge (103) of the sample can be trimmed with the        scissors, however in order to carry the test, the minimum        channel distance (104) to the outer edge (103) for the sample        should be sufficient to ensure a proper clamping of the core        wrap material into the clamps. Typically a minimum distance        (104) between the channel and the outer edge should be of at        least 5 mm for this purpose, 20 mm being ideal.    -   7. Gently remove any core absorbent material outside the channel        that is between bottom side and the top side of the core wrap        (see FIG. 11), for this open any core wrap longitudinal side        deals on the outer edge (103) if needed in case the seals was        trimmed away already.

Test Procedure (see FIG. 12):

Set up the tester in an area where the temperature is constant at 23° C.and ensure that the tester and the samples have at least 2 h time toreach this temperature.

-   -   1. Clamp the outer edge (103′) of the bottom side (16′) of the        sample into the jaw of the large binder (120) clip hanging at        the top of the tester bar.    -   2. Clamp the other binder clip (medium size) (121) to the top        side (16) of the core wrap at its outer edge (103). The inner        edge (102) of the sample is facing away from the experimenter.    -   3. Slowly attach the 150 g weight (122) to the medium binder        clip and lower slowly until the weights hangs freely on the test        sample.    -   4. As soon as the weight is released, push the timer reset        button for that sample to begin the timer at 0 minutes. NOTE:        The timer must be checked to ensure that it has begun counting        from 0.0 min. The operator should look for the number to change        from 0.0 min to 0.1 min.    -   5. Repeat procedure above for each sample prepared. The Test        Stand allows testing several samples in parallel.    -   6. The timers will stop once the sample weight has fallen on the        bottom plate due to the bond breaking. The bottom plate        comprises a switch linked to the timer so that it automatically        stops when the weight has fallen down. The time recorded is the        Static Peel Force Time for that sample (expressed in minutes).        Note: if the weight falls down due to the sample slipping out of        the clip (121) without the bond breaking, the test needs to be        rerun on a new sample.    -   7. If the sample weight has not fallen after 999 minutes, the        Static Peel Force Time is reported to be 999 minutes (maximum        Static Peel Force Time Time).    -   8. For a commercial article of a given construction, the        experiment is repeated on 10 different samples extracted from 10        individual articles or cores, for example 10 randomly selected        diapers in a commercially-sourced diaper package, and the result        averaged. The Static Peel Force Time is this average.

Centrifuge Retention Capacity (CRC)

The CRC measures the liquid absorbed by the superabsorbent polymerparticles for free swelling in excess liquid. The CRC is measuredaccording to EDANA method WSP 241.2.R3 (12).

In-Bag Stack Height Test

The In-Bag Stack Height of a package of absorbent articles is determinedas follows:

Equipment: A thickness tester with a flat, rigid horizontal slidingplate is used. The thickness tester is configured so that the horizontalsliding plate moves freely in a vertical direction with the horizontalsliding plate always maintained in a horizontal orientation directlyabove a flat, rigid horizontal base plate. The thickness tester includesa suitable device for measuring the gap between the horizontal slidingplate and the horizontal base plate to within ±0.5 mm. The horizontalsliding plate and the horizontal base plate are larger than the surfaceof the absorbent article package that contacts each plate, i.e. eachplate extends past the contact surface of the absorbent article packagein all directions. The horizontal sliding plate exerts a downward forceof 850±1 gram-force (8.34 N) on the absorbent article package, which maybe achieved by placing a suitable weight on the center of thenon-package-contacting top surface of the horizontal sliding plate sothat the total mass of the sliding plate plus added weight is 850±1grams. Such a testing apparatus is for example illustrated on FIG. 19 ofUS 2008/0312624A1.

Test Procedure: Absorbent article packages are equilibrated at 21±2° C.and 50±5% relative humidity prior to measurement. The horizontal slidingplate is raised and an absorbent article package is placed centrallyunder the horizontal sliding plate in such a way that the absorbentarticles within the package are in a horizontal orientation. Any handleor other packaging feature on the surfaces of the package that wouldcontact either of the plates is folded flat against the surface of thepackage so as to minimize their impact on the measurement. Thehorizontal sliding plate is lowered slowly until it contacts the topsurface of the package and then released. The gap between the horizontalplates is measured to within ±0.5 mm ten seconds after releasing thehorizontal sliding plate. Five identical packages (same size packagesand same absorbent articles counts) are measured and the arithmetic meanis reported as the package width. The “In-Bag Stack Height”=(packagewidth/absorbent article count per stack)×10 is calculated and reportedto within ±0.5 mm.

Miscellaneous

Unless indicated otherwise, the description and claims refer to theabsorbent core and article before use (i.e. dry, and not loaded with afluid) and conditioned at least 24 hours at 21° C.+/−2° C. and 50+/−5%Relative Humidity (RH).

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood asbeing strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead,unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean boththe recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding thatvalue. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean“about 40 mm”.

Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or relatedpatent or application and any patent application or patent to which thisapplication claims priority or benefit thereof, is hereby incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded orotherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission thatit is prior art with respect to any invention disclosed or claimedherein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other referenceor references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention.Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in thisdocument conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in adocument incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assignedto that term in this document shall govern.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in theart that various other changes and modifications can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is thereforeintended to cover in the appended claims all such changes andmodifications that are within the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An absorbent article having a front side, a backside, a longitudinal axis notionally extending in a longitudinaldirection from the middle of the front side to the middle of the backside, wherein the absorbent article has a length measured along thelongitudinal axis, the article notionally having a front region having alength of one third of the length of the article, a back region having alength of one third of the length of the article, and a crotch regionbetween the front region and back region having a length of theremaining third of the article's length; the absorbent articlecomprising a liquid permeable topsheet on the wearer-facing side, aliquid impermeable backsheet on the garment-facing side, and anabsorbent core between the topsheet and the backsheet; wherein theabsorbent core comprises: a core wrap comprising a top side and a bottomside; an absorbent material between the top side and the bottom side ofthe core wrap and having a deposition area, wherein the absorbentmaterial comprises cellulose fibers and superabsorbent polymerparticles; and at least two channels substantially free of absorbentmaterial within the deposition area; wherein the channels comprise atleast one of a first type of channels and at least one of a second typeof channels, wherein either: i) the top side and the bottom side of thecore wrap are bonded to each other in the first type of channels atleast by a first bonding; and the top side and the bottom side of thecore wrap are not bonded in the second type of channels; or ii) the topside and the bottom side of the core wrap are bonded to each other bythe first bonding and an additional bonding in the first type ofchannels, and the top side and the bottom side of the core wrap arebonded by the first bonding but are not bonded by the additional bondingin the second type of channels.
 2. The absorbent article according toclaim 1, wherein the first bonding comprises one of a group consistingof adhesive bonding, thermo bonding, mechanical bonding, ultrasonicbonding, and any combinations thereof.
 3. The absorbent articleaccording to claim 1, wherein the first type of channels have a firstStatic Peel Force Time and the second type of channels have a secondStatic Peel Force Time, wherein the first Static Peel Force Time ishigher than the second Static Peel Force Time.
 4. The absorbent articleaccording to claim 1, wherein the absorbent core comprises two channelsof the first type disposed as a symmetrical pair relative to thelongitudinal axis.
 5. The absorbent article according to claim 1,wherein the at least one channel of the first type is at least partiallypresent in the crotch region of the article.
 6. The absorbent articleaccording to claim 1, wherein the absorbent core comprises two channelsof the second type disposed as a symmetrical pair relative to thelongitudinal axis.
 7. The absorbent article according to claim 1,wherein the at least one channel of the second type is at leastpartially present in the front region of the article or is at leastpartially present in the back region of the article.
 8. The absorbentarticle according to claim 1, wherein one or more channels of the firsttype and one or more channels of the second type do not extend to any ofthe edges of the deposition area.
 9. The absorbent article according toclaim 1, wherein the top side and the bottom side of the core wrap arebonded to each other by an inner core glue and the additional bonding inthe first type of channels, and the top side and the bottom side of thecore wrap are bonded by the inner core glue but not the additionalbonding in the second type of channels, wherein the inner core glue ispresent between the top side of the core wrap and bottom side of thecore wrap.
 10. The absorbent article according to claim 9, wherein theinner core glue is present in at least one of: between the absorbentmaterial and the inner surface of the bottom side of the core wrap, andbetween the absorbent material and the inner surface of the top side ofthe core wrap, and the inner core glue at least partially overlaps withthe deposition area of the absorbent material to at least partiallyimmobilize the absorbent material.
 11. The absorbent article accordingto claim 1, wherein the cumulated length of the channels of the firsttype and the channels of the second type projected on the longitudinalaxis represent from 10% to 80% of the length of the article.
 12. Theabsorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the article furthercomprises an acquisition layer between the topsheet and the absorbentcore.
 13. The absorbent article according to claim 12, wherein theacquisition layer is a nonwoven acquisition layer.
 14. The absorbentarticle according to claim 1, wherein the channels of the first type areseparated from the channels of the second type by a separating zonecomprising absorbent material.
 15. The absorbent article according toclaim 1, wherein the cellulose fibers and superabsorbent polymerparticles are mixed.
 16. The absorbent article according to claim 1,wherein the absorbent material comprises from 40% to 70% by weight ofSAP particles.
 17. A package comprising a plurality of the absorbentarticles of claim 1, wherein the package has an In-Bag Stack Height ofless than 110 mm.
 18. An absorbent core comprising: a core wrapcomprising a top side and a bottom side; an absorbent materialcomprising cellulose fibers and superabsorbent polymer particles betweenthe top side and the bottom side of the core wrap and having adeposition area; and at least two channels substantially free ofabsorbent material within the deposition area; wherein the channelscomprise at least one of a first type of channels and at least one of asecond type of channels, wherein either: i) the top side and the bottomside of the core wrap are bonded to each other in the first type ofchannels; and the top side and the bottom side of the core wrap are notbonded in the second type of channels; or ii) the top side and thebottom side of the core wrap are bonded to each other by a first bondingand an additional bonding in the first type of channels, and the topside and the bottom side of the core wrap are not bonded by theadditional bonding in the second type of channels.
 19. A method formaking an absorbent core, comprising the steps of: providing a core wrapmaterial; applying an inner core glue on the core wrap material;depositing an absorbent material comprising cellulose fibers andsuperabsorbent polymer particles on the core wrap material on adeposition area between the top side and the bottom side of the corewrap, wherein the deposition area comprises at least two channelssubstantially free of absorbent material, and if inner core glue ispresent the deposition area at least partially corresponds to the innercore glue; forming a core wrap having a top side and bottom sideenclosing the absorbent material; then forming a first type of channelsand a second type of channels by either: i) using a first bonding tobond the top side and the bottom side of the core wrap to each other inthe first type of channels; and forming the second type of channelswithout of bonding in between the top side and the bottom side of thecore wrap in the second type of channels; or ii) using a first bondingand an additional bonding to bond the top side and the bottom side ofthe core wrap to each other in the first type of channels; and formingthe second type of channels without the additional bonding between thetop side and the bottom side of the core wrap in the second type ofchannels.
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of forming thefirst and second type of channels comprises using the first bonding andthe additional bonding to bond the top side and the bottom side of thecore wrap to each other in the first type of channels and forming thesecond type of channels using the first bonding to bond the top side andthe bottom side of the core wrap to each other in the second type ofchannels.